Quality and stability of different seafood products treated with high hydrostatic pressure (HPP) intended for raw consumption

The consumption of raw fish has rapidly increased in recent years, but being a highly perishable product, it is characterised by a very short microbiological shelf life. High hydrostatic pressure (HPP) processing is a non -thermal technology has emerged recently as a promising alternative to thermal processing for food pasteurization capable of maintaining fresh-like characteristics and nutritional value. However, the induced changes in product quality should be assessed carefully. The present research aimed to investigate the effect of HPP on different seafood products, namely grey mullet, tiger prawn and rose shrimp, intended for raw consumption. Three pres-sure levels (400, 500 and 600 MPa) were applied for 10 min. During refrigerated storage, microbiological quality, chemical parameters, colour and texture and fat oxidation were analysed. Results showed that the application of lower pressure was able to inactivate E. coli, pseudomonas and/or positive coagulase staphylococci; however, they were able to recover during storage. In addition, the application of 600-MPa pressure extended the microbio-logical shelf life by up to 30 days. For all samples, general whitening occurred while the texture was affected in a different way for the three considered species. Fat oxidation was only minimally affected and remained quite low during storage

Cross-amplification and characterization of microsatellite loci for the Neotropical orchid genus Epidendrum

In this study we tested the cross-amplification of 33 microsatellite loci previously developed for two closely related Neotropical orchid genera (Epidendrum and Laelia). A set of ten loci were polymorphic across five examined species (20 individuals each) with 2 to 15 alleles per locus. The mean expected and observed heterozygosity (average across species) ranged from 0.34 to 0.82 and from 0.27 to 0.85, respectively. In addition we tested all loci in 35 species representative of the genus Epidendrum. Of these, 26 loci showed successful amplification. Cross-application of these loci represent a potential source of co-dominant markers for evolutionary, ecological and conservation studies in this important orchid genus

AP2γ: a new player on adult hippocampal neurogenesis regulation

Since the recognition that the mammalian brain retains the ability to generate newborn neurons with functional relevance throughout life, the matrix of molecular regulators that govern adult neurogenesis has been the focus of much interest. In a recent study published in Molecular Psychiatry, we demonstrate Activating Protein 2γ (AP2γ), a transcription factor previously implicated in cell fate determination in the developing cortex, as a novel player in the regulation of glutamatergic neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Using distinct experimental approaches, we showed that AP2γ is specifically present in a subpopulation of transient amplifying progenitors, where it acts as a crucial promoter of proliferation and differentiation of adult-born glutamatergic granule neurons. Strikingly, deficiency of AP2γ in the adult brain compromises the generation of new glutamatergic neurons, with impact on the function of cortico-limbic circuits. Here, we share our view on how AP2γ integrates the transcriptional orchestration of glutamatergic neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus, and consequently, how it emerges as a novel molecular candidate to study the translation of environmental pressures into alterations of brain neuroplasticity in homeostatic, but also in neuropathological contexts.Bial Foundation (427/14); Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020); European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013 e NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023); Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rheological Behaviors of Waste Polyethylene Modified Asphalt Binder: Statistical Analysis of Interlaboratory Testing Results

This article investigated the effect of waste polyethylene (PE) on the modified asphalt binders' rheological behavior from a statistical point of view. The interlaboratory testing results from the RILEM Technical Committee 279 Valorization of Waste and Secondary Materials for Roads Task Group 1 were used for this purpose. First, an unaged 70/100 penetration graded neat binder was selected as the reference material. Next, a single 5 % content of waste PE additives (PE-pellets and PE-shreds) was mixed with a 95 % neat binder to prepare two PE modified binders. Then, dynamic shear rheometer-based temperature-frequency sweep tests were performed over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies to evaluate the rheological properties of these three binders. Different rheological behaviors were observed in the isochronal plots at high temperatures. Based on a reproducibility precision requirement proposed for phase angle, 28 degrees C was set as the transition temperature across the rheological behaviors. Next, according to the three rheological behaviors defined in a previous study by the authors, statistical analysis was introduced to identify sensitive rheological parameters and determine the thresholds. Results indicate that the phase angle measured above 28 degrees C and 1.59 Hz can be used as a sensitive parameter to discriminate the three rheological behaviors of PE modified binders. The thresholds among different behaviors were also calculated as an example for phase angle measured at the highest common testing temperature of 70 degrees C. Additional experimental evaluations on more types of PE modified binders, especially at intermediate and high temperatures, are recommended to better understand their influence on the rheological behavior of PE modified binders

Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Hospitalized and Ambulatory Patients with Human Monkeypox Infection: A Retrospective Observational Study in Portugal

Monkeypox, a neglected and re-emergent zoonotic disease caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection, has been endemic in Central and Western Africa for decades. More recently, an outbreak has spread to a global level, occurring in sites with no previous reported cases and being clustered among men who have sex with men, suggesting new modes of transmission. There is an urgent need for research for a better understanding of the genomic evolution and changing epidemiology of the Orthopoxvirus group. Our work aimed to characterize the clinical and epidemiological features of a cohort of patients with MPXV infection in a Portuguese hospital, admitted between 5 May and 26 July 2022. In this retrospective observational study, aggregate data of a case series on the presentation, clinical course, and outcomes of confirmed MPXV infections are reported. The study included 40 men and 1 woman, with a mean age of 37.2 years old; 92.7% identified as men who have sex with men, 90.2% had unprotected sex or sex with multiple or anonymous partners in the previous month, and 39.0% reported to have had sex with an MPXV-confirmed case; 59.5% had previously known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, all of whom were under antiretroviral therapy, and no patients had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) criteria. About a quarter of patients were observed only a week after symptom onset. All patients had skin or mucosal lesions and the anogenital region was the most frequent lesion site. There were no statistically significant clinical differences between HIV-positive and negative individuals. Four patients were admitted to the inpatient clinic, two of whom had proctitis with difficult-to-manage anal pain. There were no reported deaths. Our findings suggest the sexual route as a relevant mode of transmission of MPXV and confirm the mostly benign presentation of this disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Synthesis and structural characterization of a mimetic membrane-anchored prion protein

During pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) an abnormal form (PrPSc) of the host encoded prion protein (PrPC) accumulates in insoluble fibrils and plaques. The two forms of PrP appear to have identical covalent structures, but differ in secondary and tertiary structure. Both PrPC and PrPSc have glycosylphospatidylinositol (GPI) anchors through which the protein is tethered to cell membranes. Membrane attachment has been suggested to play a role in the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc, but the majority of in vitro studies of the function, structure, folding and stability of PrP use recombinant protein lacking the GPI anchor. In order to study the effects of membranes on the structure of PrP, we synthesized a GPI anchor mimetic (GPIm), which we have covalently coupled to a genetically engineered cysteine residue at the C-terminus of recombinant PrP. The lipid anchor places the protein at the same distance from the membrane as does the naturally occurring GPI anchor. We demonstrate that PrP coupled to GPIm (PrP-GPIm) inserts into model lipid membranes and that structural information can be obtained from this membrane-anchored PrP. We show that the structure of PrP-GPIm reconstituted in phosphatidylcholine and raft membranes resembles that of PrP, without a GPI anchor, in solution. The results provide experimental evidence in support of previous suggestions that NMR structures of soluble, anchor-free forms of PrP represent the structure of cellular, membrane-anchored PrP. The availability of a lipid-anchored construct of PrP provides a unique model to investigate the effects of different lipid environments on the structure and conversion mechanisms of PrP